Submarine mine.



G. E.- ELA.

SUBMABINE MINE.

AIPLIOATION FILED JUNE 26, 191,3.

' fatn'a Apr.- 7,' 1914 s sums-SHEET 1.

/UTURHEYS 1 G. E. ELIA. SUBMARINE MINE.

APPLICATION FILED .TU-NE 26, 1913.

1,692,792@ Ptntea Apr. '7, 1914.

BISHEETS-SHEET 2.

lll

'entren sia'riis register orifice.

GOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA, F ROME. ITALY.

SUBMARIN E MINE.

Specification of Letters I'atcri l Applicationv filed June 26, 1513.13.

Patented Apr. 7, HDi-.

serial No. 775.878.'

lle it known that I, GiovANNr EMANUELE llniw. a subject of the King of Italy, and a resident ot Rome, Italy, have invented a 'new and Improved Submarine Mine, of'

which the following is a specification. u

My invention relates to improvements 1n submarineA mines, and it 'consists in the constructions, combinations and arrangements herein described and: claimed.

An objectoi' my invention is to provide a Asubmarine mine of the floating type in which two mines, suspended from floats which are `connected by an intermediate fiexible eonnection, are causedto swing inwardly to- Vward'the sides ot a ship when-the latter enf the/mine 'when the latter has reachedthe vulnerable part of the ship, said means comprising va reel having a cable secured to a. drag whose resistance to the water will cause the unwiiiding of the ca'ble and the releasing of a trigger so as to permit a spring-pressed lring piu to be actuated thus resulting in the explosion.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying'drawings forming part of this application in whichg Fignrel is a diagrammatic view showing the manner of floating the mines, Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing a. ship engag 'ing the intermediate connections between the mines. Fig. Sis a view similar to Fig. 2 showing.;` the position of the mines after such engagement, Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the positions taken by the mines in moving trom the'armor covered portionot thevessel to the more vulnerable parts, Fig. 5 is a section lthrough-one of the mines, showing the attached reel in one position, Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the attaehed reel in another position, Fig. 7 is a .section along the line 7-7 of Fig. 6 and Fig. S is a ice-tion throughoneof the cable supprtiugtloats. j

v'In' carrying out my invention I provide mines like that shown in Fig. lhese comprise an exterior casing i haring on the Outside a series ol lspirally arranged flanges or blades 2 whose purpose will be explained hereinafter. This casing is designed to be filled with any suitable explosive.

Extending.through'the interior of the casing 1 from top to bottom is a tube 3, which is flledwith detonating material. The bottom of this tube extends through the bottom 4 ofthe casing and is provided with a detonatlng cap 5 carried by a screw plug 6. A t the top of the easing is a suspension ring 7 which is carried by a screw plu-g 8.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6 it will lie Seen that the two end platesfl and 1() are secured to a plate 11 which is in turn secured to the bottom 4 of the casing 1 by` means of bolts 12 which pass through the plate 11, the bottoni 4 and into a plate 13 on the interior of the casing. The reel proper consists of a hub 14 having circular heads or end plates 15, which are set'in angular recesses in theV Vwhich is adjustably mounted in a threaded portion 20 on the interior of the hub 14. A spring 21 bears atone end upon the'adjustable ring 19 and at the other end upon the piston 16. A; screw plug 22 is arranged to close one end of the hollow hub. Nea-r the opposite end of the hollow hub is a-cylinder 23 which contains a shell 24. It also contains a firing pin 25 which has a head 26 arranged to be engaged by the striking pin 1 7 for firing the shell 24. A., screw .cap 27 of soft metal closes this end ofthe hollow hub.V

The axis of this screw cap 27, as it will be observed, is coincident with the axis ofthe leading into the interior of the hollow hub 14. As will be seen from Fig. 5 the end of the stop member is disposed in the path of the piston 16. A gasket 31 is provided for the purpose of keeping out water from the interior bfthe hub. One-end of the arm 28 is attached to a cable 32 which `is wound around the reel in the manner shown in Fig. 5, and which passes out over a. guide im X bar 33. Secured to the cable 32 is a drag 34:. The latter is preferably made in the shape of a hollow cone. In order to make these drags as near the density of Water as pessible and yet have them sink, 'construct the drags of a light material such as canvas, so that when the mines are suspended by floats such as those shown atA 35 and 36 in Fig. l, the drags ,34 will sink to a position immediately beneath the mines and yetwill not exert sufficient force on the reel to cause it tounwind. It will be understood that when the mines are put overboard the cable 'be tween the drag 34 and the mine 1 is slack to permit the drag to reach its position with- -out unwinding the reel. c

F rom the foregoing description of the various parts of the device the operation thereof may be readily understood.

A pair of mines such as those shown at A and B in Fig. 1 are suspended from the floats 35 and 36. AThese floats are then connected by a cable or other flexible connection 37, which is in turn supported by'small floats 38 of the shape shown invFig. 8. These are provided with fastening devices 38X for securing the float to the cable. The cable 37 which connects the two floats 35 and 36 is arranged across the path (such as the entrance to the `mouth of a stream or harbor) in which a vessel is presumed to pass.

It will be observed that the mine A is provided with spiral flanges 2, which are formed in the manner of a left-handed screw, while on the mine B the flanges 2 are formed like a right-handed screw.

Referring now to Fig. 2 it will be seen that when the prow s of a ship or vessel S engages the cable 37 it will cause the mines A and B to swing inwardly toward the sides of the vessel. Immediately the drags 34 begin to exert a tension on the cord or cable 32. Eventually the mines A and B will strike the sides of the vessel as shownin Fig. 3. The first contact of the mines with the ship will be against the armor plate P of the latter, as shown in Fig. Il. Owing to the spirally arranged flanges 2 the mine A on one side and the mine B on the opposite side will be lrotated in opposite directions by their passage through the water. This `will tend-y to cause the mines to pass downwardly past the armor plate P and into contact`I with the under portion of the ship where it is more vulnerable. In the meantime the cable 32 is being unwound from the reels dueE to the force exerted by the drag.

N ow when the -able 32 has been completely nnwound thev arm 28 will`be drawn outwardly in the manner shown in Fig. 6. This will withdraw the stop member 29 and permit the piston 16-to spring forward under the tensioir'of the spring 21 so as to bring the striking in -17 into engagement with the hedi2 of) the firing pin 25. The latter will explode the-shell 23 which will pass through the soft metal plug 27 and engage the detonating cap "i, thus firing the detonating material in the tube 3 and exploding the mine. It will thus be seen that I have provided an arrangement by means of which mines which are separated by considerable distance may be brought into closecontact with the sides of the ship above the vulnerable part and by the motion of theship will be brought to the most vulnerable part and subsequently exploded.

claim:

1,-The combination with a pair of submarine mines, of a .float for each mine, a

flexible connection joining said floats, buoyant means for floating said flexible connection, said flexible connection being disposed vin the path of a vessel and arranged to be engaged by the latter, whereby both mines 1 are brought into engagement with the sides of the vessel, and meanscarried 'by each mine and operated by the forward movement ofthe vessel for subsequently moving the mine toward the bottom of the vessel'.

2. The combination with a pair of submarine mines, of a float for each mine, a flexible connection joining said floats,buoy ant means for floating said flexible connection, said flexible connection being disposed in the path of a vessel and arranged to be engaged by the latter, whereby both mines are brought into engagement with the sides of the vessel, means carried by each mine and operated by the forward movement of" the vessel for subsequently moving the mine toward the bottom of the vessel, and means -for subsequently' exploding the mine.

3. The combination with a pair of submarine mines, o'fa float for each mine, a flexible connection joining said floats, buoyant means for floating said flexible connec- I tion, said flexible connection being disposedI in the path of a vessel and arranged to be engaged by the latter, whereby both mines are brought intoengagement with the sides of the vessel, means carried by each mine and operated by the forward movement of the vessel for subsequently moving the mine toward the bottom of the vessel, and means for subsequently exploding the mine, said last named means being operated by the movement of the vessel through the water.

4. In a submarine mine, a casing contain- 12o ing explosive material, a flexible connection with said casing arranged to be engaged by they prow of a vessel for drawing the casing forward through the water, andnmeaus carried by the exterior of the casing for rotating the latter during its movement through the water, thereby ,'producing a rolling; movement of the casing at right angles@ td its forward movement when thefcasing'en' gages the side of the vessel.

5. ln a submarine mine, a casing containing explosive material, a'. flexible connection with said casingarranged to be. engaged by `the prow of a vessel for drawing the. casing 6. The combination with a pair of submarine mines, of a float for each mine, a flexible connection joining said floats, buoy- -ant means for floating said-flexible lconnection, said exible connection beingdisposed inthe path of a vessel Iand arranged to be engaged by the latter, whereby both mines are brought .into engagement with the sides ot' the -vessel, means carried by each mine and operated by the forward movement of. the vessel` for subsequently moving the mine toward the bottom of the vessel, means for subsequently exploding the mine, said last named means Comprising a detonating cap, a spring actuated striking pin, a trigger for releasing said spring actuated pin, a drag, and means actuated by the resistance of the drag in the water for releasing said spring actuated striking pin. ,y

7. In a submarine mine, a casing, explosive material disposed therein, a tube disposed within said casing and having an extension outside of said casing, said tube being arranged to receive detonating material, a detonating cap carried by the extension of said tube, means carried by the exterior portion of said casing for firing said detonating cap, said last named means comprising a .reel having a hollow hub, the axis of ,the

hub being coincident with the axis of said vdetonating cap, a shell disposed within said ,hollow hub, means for protecting the shell from water, a spring-actuated striking pin disposed within said hollow hub, a trigger carried by the hub for releasing -said springpin, and-means for operating said trigger. v

S. In ,a submarine mine, a casing, explosive material disposed therein, a tube disposed within lsaid casing and havingan extension outside of said casing, said tube being arranged to receive detonating material, a detonating cap carried by the extension of said tube, means carried by the exterior portion of said casingfor firing said detonating cap, said last named means comprising a reel having a hollowrhubthe axis of the hub being coincident withl'the axis of said detonating cap, a shell disposed wit-,hin said hollow hub, means fonprotectingthe shell from water, a-,s ring-actuated striking pin'disposed within' said lilnllow hub, a trigger carried by the hub for releasing said springactuated pin, means for operating said trigger, said last named means comprising a exible cable wound on said reel and arranged to engage the trigger, and means for unwinding said flexible cable.

9. The combination 'with a plurality of submarine mines, of a float foreach mine, flexible means for connecting said floats, said flexible means being disposed 1n the path of a vessel, and the engagement'of the fiexible means by the vessel serving to bring the means'into contact with the sides of the vessel, and means carried by the mines and operated by the movement of the vessel through the vater for shifting the position of the mines towardthe bottom of the vessel.m

10. The combination with a plurality Qi submarine mines, ofa float for eachfmine 485 flexible means for connecting said`A floats', said fiexible means being disposed in the` path of a vessel, and the engagement of the flexible means by the vessel serving to bring the means into contact with the sides of the vessel, and means carried by the mines andl operated by the movement of the vessel V through the water for shifting the position of the mines toward thebottom of the vessel, said last named means comprising spirally shaped flanges carried by the mines on the exterior portions thereof.

l1. The combination with a plurality of submarine mines, 0f a float for each mine, flexible means .for connecting Said floats, said flexible means being disposed in the path of a vessel, and the engagement of the flexible means by the vessel serving to bring the means into contact with the sides of the vessel, means carried by the mines and op- -erated by the movement of the vessel through the water for shifting the position of the mines toward the bottom of the vessel, said last named means comprising spirally -shaped lflanges carried by the mines on the exterior portions thereof, and means for exploding the mines after they have reached the bottom parts ofthe vessel.

12."- 'lhe combination with a plurality of submarine mines, of a float for each mine, .i flexible means for connecting said oats,

Asaid flexible means being disposed in the path of a vessel, and the engagement of the flexible means by the vessel serving to bring the means into contact with the sides of the vessel, means carried bythe 'mines and op- :carried by the reel,A a trigger normally-held i erated by the movement of the vessel.

in an inoperative position by the cable and adapted. to be released by the unwinding of the cable, and iring-means brought into operation by the release`of the trigger.

13. The combination With a plurality of submarine mines, of a, float for each mine, yflexible means for connecting said floats, said ieXible means being disposed in the path of 'a vessel, -and the engagement of the oxiblemeans by the vessel serving to bring the 'means into Contact with the sides of the vessel, means carried by the mines and open ated by the movement of the Vessel through the water for shifting the position of the mines toward the bottom of the vessel, said last named means comprising spirally shaped flanges carried by the mines on the Loser/oe in an inoperative position by the cable andadapted to be released by the unwinding of the cable, a drag attached to said cable for causing the unwinding of the latter during the movementI of the vessel through the water, and firing means brought into operation by the release of the trigger. GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA.

Witnesses EDWARD H. SHERMAN, Rose HARDWIOK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained-for we cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

